“I’m really sorry I saw what I saw. I wish I didn’t, Bianca. I really do.” Bianca walks up to him and touches the side of his face lovingly. She closes her eyes for a brief second, then opens them up again and smiles radiantly.
“Don’t worry about it Uri, I have a feeling this will work out.” He smiles and walks out with Eta.
“You’re not the least bit concerned that your father did this?” I ask her once we are alone.
“No, because it’s all a big misunderstanding. What I am concerned about is you.”
“What about me?”
“How are you doing with Emmy getting hurt?”
“You called her by her name,” I point out.
“I didn’t realize how much she meant to you until I saw the look on your face when you had to carry her broken body in your arms. You really love her.” I can’t look into her eyes. Just like back in Bora Bora, it feels like she knows too much about me.
Things I’m not willing or ready to share.
Luckily, I get a call from Ameana that interrupts me and Bianca. But that’s where my luck stops.
Rage has been in touch with her and he has not found his ex. I tell her to make sure he keeps looking.
“Marcus, there’s something else,” Ameana says on the other line.
Dear Omins, what now?
“I’m listening,” I say bracing myself.
“The doctor said…”
“The doctor said what?”
“He said we should come back to the hospital to say our goodbyes.”
“What the hell are you doing?” Rio shouts as he lands on the ground a few seconds after me.
“What’s the problem?” I ask.
“Your wings are damaged and you fly into a freaking nest of power balls just to get one Demon?”
“I got ’em.”
“Marcus, you’re being reckless.”
“I’m doing my job. We are almost done with this thing. All we need to do is take out the last of the Fire Swans and a few hundred Believers.”
“What about the Demons, Marcus? They don’t die as easily as Believers, you know that.”
“That’s why I’m doing everything to kill them.”
“You can’t kill them all by yourself. We had a plan. The Paras would attack from the west and we’d attack from the east. What happened to that?”
“Look, I saw a Demon and I attacked him. What is the big deal?”
“Risking your life won’t make Emmy better. That’s not what she would want for you.”
“This has nothing to do with Emmy.”
“Yes, it does. Ameana called me. I know how bad things have gotten. I know they don’t think she’ll live, but that doesn’t mean you can go off and get yourself killed!”
“Hey, what’s with all the effort for one Demon?” Miku asks as she lands.
“He’s a Demon. He should die,” I reply simply.
Rio then tells her about Ameana’s call.
“I’ll get the rest of the team, we should go see her,” Miku says filled with sorrow.
“You guys can go, I’m not done fighting,” I reply.
The twins look at each other with an uneasy stare.
“What?” I ask, impatiently.
“You should go see Emmy with us,” The Twins say in union.
“I have work to do,” I snap.
I take off into the sky. My wings are slightly slower than I’m used to, as a result of the blast from several dozen power balls. None of them got me directly but they were close enough to slow me down. But what I lack in speed, I know make up in fury.
I grab a Demon just as he’s about to strike and hurl him to the side of the mountains where he collides with a Fire Swan. The two of them explode in the sky like fire works.
Die. Die. Die. Die.
The Demons attack me back with power balls and brute strength. One demon gets the upper hand and rains down blow after blow to my face and chest. He grabs me by the neck, takes out his knife and slashes me from my chest to my belly button.
I cry out as my blood drips down onto the ground below. The Demon laughs and tells me how much he’s wanted to be the one that kills me.
“Before you do, just one thing,” I replay between gritted teeth.
“What is it?”
“Your song’s playing.”
As soon as I say that, Miku gets up close to the Demon and sings right into his ear. The Demon is in agony from that moment on. So much so that he has no choice but to let me go. But my wings are far more injured than I first thought. I’m falling, not flying.
Jay pulls me back up at the last minute and gets on me about not being careful. He then scolds me for not agreeing to go see Emmy in the hospital.
I’m about to argue with him when one of the soldiers announces he spotted Ty, half a mile from here. He warns me that Ty isn’t alone; he’s accompanied by dozens of Believers. I take off after him, broken wing and all.
Ty shoots at us with big power balls that are meant to kill. It appears the source of his power is anger. I try to fly over to him but with my wings, I can only hover in the air. I call out his name but he ignores me.
He shoots at the soldiers and they begin to shoot back. I shout at them to stop, but they are under fire and their natural instant is to protect themselves.
“No, stop!” I roar as I try to make it over to them.
It infuriates me that the more I try to fly, the less I am able. Ty hurls a power ball at a Foundation soldier on the ground. The power ball hits the soldier and sends him flying in the air. When he lands, he’s missing a leg. The soldier looks up at the face of the being that attacks him.
“No, don’t do it!” I shout.
It’s too late. The soldier launches six blades, three from each palm, right into Ty’s chest.
“NO!!!”
I land on the ground and race over to Ty. He caught two blades in the leg, two in his shoulders and two in the heart. His shirt is drenched in blood. His breathing is shallow. I place his head in my lap and tell him everything will be fine.
Tears fall from his eyes. He takes a quick breath. Then I feel his body relax in my arms. He looks up at me with a blank stare.
“Ty? Ty? C’mon, don’t do this, wake up!”
I look off into the direction I came from and I see him standing there.
“Rio, read his wave. Then help me take him to the infirmary,” I demand.
“Marcus, he’s gone.”
“FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!”
I don’t know how long I sat there with Ty’s corpse on my lap. They tried to get me off the field but I wouldn’t budge. They tried to tend to the gash across my chest but I wouldn’t let them. Rio placed his shield around us. But it didn’t stop the Demons from trying to attack.
Night begins to fall. Someone comes and takes Ty’s body. I would have stopped them but I was losing a lot of blood and was weak. The person promised me they would take good care of him. I think it was Miku but I’m in a daze and can’t be sure.
Somehow, I end up in someone’s makeshift room, sitting on the edge of a cot, with my shirt off.
She stands over me and goes to administer a sticky blue liquid to the wound to my chest. I stop her.
“What am I doing here?”
“I had your team bring you to me,” Bianca replies.
“Why?”
“I just wanted to help?” she asks earnestly.
I release her hand, she dabs the liquid up and down my chest. My wound starts healing on contact.
“What is it?” I ask.
“A paste of healing herbs. It’s already worked on your wings. Now we just need to take care of that nasty cut.”
“Could it help—”
“—No, it doesn’t work on humans.”
“Oh.”
When she’s done, she puts the vial away.
“You should be better soon,” she promises.
“Ty…”
“I heard. I’m so sorry,” she replies.
“I said I would protect him…”
“You did the best you could.”
I look up at her and make a confession.
“I abandoned her; I abandoned Emmy.”
“How?”
“They said I could go to her hospital room and see her because she might not…but I couldn’t. I couldn’t face her; she’s in this situation because she loves me.”
“I think your wound should heal nicely,” she says.
“Thank you,” I whisper looking off into the distance.
She takes my face in her hand and gently turns my head so that I’m facing her.
“I can heal your other scars. The ones you get from trying to make love work when it’s clearly not meant to.”
She kneels on the floor before me, leans in and caresses my face with her fingers. That’s when exhaustion begins to set in. The battling, the killing, the blood, the sacrifices…
I haven’t recharged in what feels like weeks. And it’s just now hitting me. I look at her wary and worn. She studies my face.
“Emmy’s not gonna make it through the night. It’s okay to let her go; let everything go because I’m here.”
She looks up at me. Bianca is truly beautiful. Her piercing eyes could start wars. Her caramel skin dares you to not to taste it. The shape of her supple breasts promises a night of inconceivable pleasure. No guy in his right mind would push this girl away.
“Marcus, it’s okay to let her go…” Bianca whispers again as if reading my mind.
I look down at her; true perfection. She begins to unbutton her blouse slowly.
“There’s so much pain in your eyes, so much weighing on your soul. I can take that pain away. I can lift the weight off of you. Marcus, let me make it better…” Her blouse slides off her shoulders and onto the floor behind her. She sits before me, half naked and willing. Her body is undeniably a weapon.
I reach out towards her. She eagerly awaits my lips on hers. I lean in even closer. My face is only inches away from her. She closes her eyes and awaits my lips. I reach past her, pick up her blouse and cover her back up.
Like I said, a guy would have to be out of his mind to pass up a girl like Bianca. And that’s what I am: out of my mind, in love with Emmy. She somehow manages to make the other girls fade to the background.
It may be that she is out of my sight, but Emmy is never out of my mind. And yes, Bianca is insanely hot, but she’s not Emmy.
I apologize to her, put my shirt back on and head outside. Bianca calls after me.
“Marcus, where are you going?”
“I’m going to see the girl who went to Hell for me.”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN:
TRICKS OF THE WICKED
I arrive at the hospital a short while later. I find the team in the waiting area. They’ve already gone inside to see Emmy. The only person who has yet to show his face is me. They ask if I need them to come with me; I tell them I am fine going on my own.
I head down the hallway and stop in front of her room. I see her through the window in the door. She looks small; frail. There are several tubes attached to her and the machines keeping her alive hum quietly in the background.
I try again, this time I get as far as the door handle. And still, I can’t get myself to go in. I sink down to the floor with my head in my hands.
Omnis, if you need to take someone, take me. Take me a million times. Just don’t take her. Theonly thing she ever did wrong was love me; don’t make her pay for that mistake with her life.
Pretty comes to sit beside me on the floor. I look into her eyes and confess that I can’t do it. I can’t handle seeing her this way.
“When my mom got cancer, Rio and I had to go see her in the hospital. I couldn’t go in. I just sat outside her room. I kept waiting for the courage to see her. Then, I remember what she said to me my first day of kindergarten, when I was scared to go inside the classroom. She said courage doesn’t wander. It is with you always, you just need to find it.”
“I don’t even know what to say to her.”
“You don’t need to say anything. You just need to show up. That’s what you do for people you love; you show up.”
She takes my hand and we get up together. I place my hand on the cold doorknob. My fingers are shaking but I manage to steady them enough to open the door. I look at Miku, she smiles reassuringly. I walk into Emmy’s room.
My chest feels like it’s going to explode from the pain of seeing her so broken. Her skin is pale, her head is bandaged and she lies so still, the bed is more like a coffin. The thought of her being six feet under causes a chill to run down my whole body. I slowly walk up to her bed and take her frail hand in mine.
“I’m here, Em.”
I pause as if she will somehow respond to me. Her only response is more silence.
“I’m sorry I didn’t come sooner. I was being selfish. I do that a lot. I should have been here with you but I couldn’t face it. The funny thing is, I know if it was the other way around, you would have been there for me.
“That’s the thing I could never get you to understand; you’re the strongest person I know. You think my powers make me strong, but the truth is, it takes more courage to be human. ” I kiss her hand and place it between mine. She is unmoved.
“Baby, ever since we met, I’ve asked you to do impossible things. And I know you’re tired. I know you’re ready to give in. But I need you to do just one more impossible thing for me. I need you to fight to come back to me. Emmy, please come back to me…”
The knock on the door jolts me out of my thoughts. I place Emmy’s hand gently back to her side and open the door. Rio stands with there, looking distressed.
“What is it?” I ask.
“It’s Uri. His life is in danger.”
“What? He’s not even supposed to be in battle,” I reply.
“I know, but that’s what I’m reading.”
“If something happens to him in battle…”I begin.
“Then Angela will freak and lose the baby. I know. That’s why we need to get Uri, now.” I look back at Emmy and hope she understands why I have to leave so abruptly. Rio and I rush out of the hospital, then head for the camp.
Once there, I find the rest of the team, looking at each other, unsure what to do.
“What’s the problem?” I ask.
That’s when I hear a girl screaming profanity from the top of her lungs. Angela is a few yards away, throwing everything in sight at her husband, Uri.
“I FREAKING HATE YOU!!!”
She hurls the nearest rock at his head, he dodges it at the last minute. But she keeps coming and the third attempt is successful. The rock hits Uri in the head and bursts open his forehead. The stream of blood runs from his forehead down his face and onto his shirt. We all rush over to them.
Angela is absolutely unwilling to settle down. She charges towards her husband with full strength. Jay has to hold her back to keep her from beating the hell of him.
“Yo son, chill,” Jay shouts as Angela furiously fights to break free from his hold.
“I’m sorry, Angie, I’m so sorry,” Uri begs.
“IM GONNA KILL YOU!!!” She vows.
Then, without warning, she opens her mouth and sinks her teeth into Jay’s flesh.
“Yo, she bit me,” Jay says more shocked than in pain.
By now the entire camp has gathered and everyone is watching this insane scene play out.
“Uri, what’s going on?” I demand.
“TELL THEM, TELL THEM HOW YOU CHEATED ON ME, YOU BASTARD!” Angela yells at the top of her lungs.
“I’m sorry, Angie. I’m so sorry.”
“FUCK YOU!”
“Try to understand, I gave you my Rah so quickly…I panicked. But I love you. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.”
“GET FORGIVENESS FROM YOUR QUO WHORE--”
“—Okay, this needs to end right now!” I order.
“JUST LET ME KILL HIM!” Angela says gritting her tee
th.
Once again she leaps out and aims to murder her husband.
I snatch Uri and pull him out of her reach. He begs me to let him stay and talk to his wife.
“Right now, what you need to do is be gone,” I order.
“I’m not leaving her.”
“Did you cheat on her?” I ask.
“Yes.”
“Then you need to leave,” I reply.
“It can’t be over. She’s my life,” he swears.
“Look, I’m not saying it’s over but right now, for the sake of your Sib, you need to go so that Angela can calm down. So long as you’re here, she’s gonna be upset. You know what that will mean for your child. You need to go to hide out and give her some space.”
“But—“
“—Uri, go!”
“Okay, okay,” he says as he reluctantly flies away.
I head back to Angela, who is now whimpering loudly. Miku and Ameana take her back to her makeshift room. They signal to the rest of the team not to come in. We all agree it would be best to let the girls go in and find out what happened.
While we wait on them to return, Jay sticks his arm out for us to see.
“You see this?” He whines.
“It’s a small bite,” Rio says dismissively.
“Yo son, she took some of my flesh.”
Out of nowhere, I do something I haven’t in awhile - laugh. Rio joins me.
“Oh, so y’all just gonna laugh? Really? You guy are gonna do me like that?” Jay replies.
We try to contain our laughter, but fail.
“That’s not funny, this is gonna scar. Damn you!” Jay says as he studies his arm.
“Just go to the infirmary and have them fix you up,” I say once I finally manage to control my laughter.
“Your teammate is suffering and what you do; laugh? Yo, that cold, son.” Jay says shaking his head dramatically.
Rio rolls his eyes and flashes a bemused smile. But the smile quickly turns into concern.
“What is it?” Jay asks.
“Angela, she’s devastated,” Rio replies.
“Yeah, we saw that—”I begin.
“—It’s not about Uri,” Rio says as he runs in to see Angela. The rest of us follow.
“What’s going on?” He asks.